Tactical Buyer

Thales Group; Crawley; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in aerospace and defense seeks a Tactical Buyer to manage procurement processes and supplier relationships in Crawley. The role involves ensuring timely acquisition of products and optimizing supplier performance while adhering to strategic goals. Ideal candidates will possess strong negotiation skills and a commercial mindset, contributing to the company’s commitment to innovation and effectiveness in supply chain management.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Career development opportunities

Support for neuro-diverse applicants

Qualifications

• Strong commercial and customer focus.
• Experience in relationship management and negotiation.
• Ability to solve complex operational issues.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end purchase orders and supplier performance.
• Drive cost-saving initiatives and supplier negotiations.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies and procedures.

Skills

Commercial focus

Relationship building

Negotiation

Problem solving

Supplier performance management

Job description

Location: Crawley, United Kingdom

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible. Together we offer fantastic opportunities for committed employees to learn and develop their career with us. At Thales UK, we research, develop, and supply technology and services that impact the lives of millions of people each day to make life better, and keep us safer. We innovate across the major industries of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space. Your health and well-being matters to us and that’s why we offer you the flexibility to do what’s important to you; whether that’s part time hours, job sharing, home working, or the ability to flex your start and finish times. Where possible, we support a working pattern that suits your lifestyle and helps you reach your ambitions.

Role : Tactical Buyer

Primary Purpose of the Role :

The purpose of the Tactical Buyer role is to be responsible for the effective and accurate processing of orders from purchase to payment (P2P.) Including the creation and execution of Purchase Orders and their subsequent delivery to required technical and quality specifications, contractual conditions and total acquisition cost, supplier performance and relationship management. The role is part of Thales UK’s mutualized buyer organization which provides buying support and self-serve solutions management to all business lines, function and UK locations.

Key Responsibilities

§ To be responsible for the timely and accurate acquisition of products and services for Thales UK, to ensure all requests and information is correctly received and understood, and supplier to meet and deliver CBU and Functional department requirements.
§ The generation and end to end successful execution of purchase orders to achieve appropriate levels of material availability and service provisions (Indirect) to meet both the Master Production Schedule and day to day business operational demands. To be cognizant of any deviations to plan and take appropriate action to ensure conformance and to minimise material or service delays.

· To be responsible for and execute all activities in accordance with Chorus 2 processes, including order book levels, work queues, lead times, unmatched invoices, supplier payments, CAPAs and Internal and External supplier audits. To continually review and identify areas of opportunity to improve service delivery to the business be it through efficiency improvement or cost reduction.

· To issue RFQs in support of business operations, programme and bid requirements. Where not defined to negotiate purchasing pricing and terms and conditions (including customer, product or programme conditions) as necessary. To engage and align with Category Management to ensure adherence to category strategy and the leveraging of approved suppliers. To agree and manage supplier delivery schedules ensuring adherence to Category and CBU policy. · To monitor and improve supplier performance and escalate where necessary to Category / Suppler Performance Management, to participate and provide input supplier reviews (QBRs)
· To actively identify and deliver opportunities for cost savings, cost avoidance and improved cash management through effective supplier negotiation and /or supplier selection (purchasing channel) to improve bottom line company performance. · To help drive sustainability in our projects and products to optimise cost benefits and innovation from within our supply chain, and pro-actively reduce risk and non-compliance to legislation (e.g. Bribery and Modern Slavery). To assist in incorporating sustainable requirements: energy, climate change and material security & criticality (e.g. REACH, Conflict Minerals etc) into the product and services we procure · To ensure that any items that are purchased meet the required trade compliance requirements. Which includes ensuring the necessary licenses are in place and that the CECC classification data is requested and maintained in the PLM.

Competencies Required for role

Commercial and Customer focused

Focus on order and planning

Relationship building, influencing key stakeholders and negotiating

Drive, ownership and resilience

Problem solving and Decision making

Strategic Supplier Management and Performance

Process and Compliance

Behaviours

Displays the following:

• Be able to solve a range of challenging operational issues and be someone who plans ahead.
• Set stretched goals for themselves and their suppliers, prepared to take risks in order to gain competitive advantage for Thales.
• Have the ability to work effectively within and across transverse teams, actively seeking synergies and sharing of best practices.
• Work collaboratively in order to enable the function to deliver to business needs.
• Display passion, energy, drive, agility and resilience in achieving ambitious targets under difficult circumstances, capitalising on lessons learned and responding positively to setbacks.
• Use full understanding of internal and external customer needs to contribute to a customer first culture.
• Understand the impact of their performance, and of their suppliers, on Thales results.
• Have a clear understanding of the global perspective relevant to their role working both within Thales and the supply market.
• Understands the necessity to conduct themselves in accordance with the Thales Code of Ethics, Group Procurement Policy and in compliance to the legislative and regulatory environment in which we operate.
• To demonstrate ownership and accountability in the execution of day to day activities and the role of the wider Buying Organisation.

#LI-JB1

In line with Thales' Baseline Security requirements, candidates will be asked to provide evidence of identity, eligibility to work in the UK and employment and/or education history for up to three years. Some vacancies may require full Security Clearance which can require further evidence to be provided. For further details of the evidence required to apply for Baseline and Security Clearance please refer to the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting (DBS NSV) Agency.

At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.

Thales UK is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment process. We will provide reasonable adjustments and support to ensure neuro-diverse applicants or those with a disability or long-term condition can be their best during the recruitment process. To request an adjustment, if you need this job advert in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Resourcing Ops for mid to senior roles, or the Early Careers Teamfor graduate and apprentice roles.

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